Virgin Money revisited & revitalised
- By Richard Branson -
- Feb 26, 2013
It is one year on since we visited Virgin Money in Newcastle and launched the business to make everyone better off. So what better time to come up to see all the team.
Watching what has happened with Virgin Money has been fantastic. It is a magical atmosphere, it feels Virginised, happy and red!
After meeting some brilliant young entrepreneurs to see the impact of the Start-Up Loans scheme, I enjoyed a chat with Virgin Money CEO Jayne-Anne Gadhia on 'The Street', the liveliest part of our beautiful offices here in Gosforth.
There was time for a few games of pool and arcade games, plus yours truly got to give a few massages - these aren't your average offices! - and it was great to see the revitalised, rebranded building full of enthusiastic staff.
We also visited the Virgin Money Store, which stands out as a real destination where people want to visit, relax and spend time. The Store will act as a blueprint for more across the country.
My early experiences with banking were not too good. Going into the Queen's bank - Coutts - and asking for a loan without shoes and socks on (it was the Sixties) probably wasn't the best idea! But Great Britain needs a competitive brand in the banking industry, and Virgin Money can deliver it.
By Richard Branson. Founder of Virgin Group
